Electroplating apparatus.



N. S. EMERY-& B. W. GILGHRIST.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

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UNED STATES PATN NATHAN S. EMERY AND BENJAMIN W. GILCHRIST, OFWOODHAVEN, NEW YORK.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed August 16, 1909. Serial No. 513,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NATHAN S. EMERY and BENJAMIN \V. GILoHRIs'r, bothcitizens of the United States, and residing at VVoodhaven, in the countyof Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electroplating Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electroplating apparatus, and the objectthereof is to provide an improved apparatus of this class which may beconveniently manipulated in the process of electroplating articles ofvarious kinds and classes, and which may also be used as an apparatusfor polishing various articles; and with these and other objects in Viewthe invention consists in an apparatus of the class specified,constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of whichthe accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts ofour improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in eachof the views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan and diagrammatic view ofour improvement when used as an electroplating apparatus. Fig. 2, asectional side view thereof. Fig. 3, a cross sectional view. Fig. 4:, asectional end view of a rotatable drum which forms a part of theapparatus, and Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing amodification.

In the practice of our invention we pro vide an oblong tank a at oneside of which is mounted a longitudinal shaft 12, and said shaft 1) isprovided at one end with a belt wheel or pulley b and may be rotated bypower applied thereto in any desired manner, or said shaft may be turnedby hand if desired. The tank a is open at the top and mounted therein,transversely thereof are a plurality of equally spaced drums 0 two ofwhich are shown, and bearings for another of which are also shown. Thedrums c are mounted on shafts c which extend longitudinally thereto andsaid shafts are preferably composed of copper and the shafts c areprovided at one end with worm gear wheels 0 which mesh withcorresponding worm ears 0 loosely mounted on the shaft 7) and said shaftis provided with clutch devices 0 which are longitudinally movablethereon and adapted to engage the worm gears 0* and the clutches 0 maybe moved longitudinally of the shaft 1) by means of levers c pivoted tothe side of the tank a at c and engaging the clutches 0 in the usualmanner.

The body portions of the drums c, in the construction shown in Figs. 2to 4: inclusive, are composed of end members cl formed of insulatingmaterial and preferably provided with perforations or apertures cl, andparallel frame bars or rods 6Z3 composed of metal and covered withinsulating material d as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and said par allelbars or rods 0Z may be connected with the end members (Z in any desiredmanner, and in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the bars or rods(Z are inclosed by wrappers or casings d of celluloid, rubber or otherinsulating material, provided between the bars or rods (Z withperforations or apertures (Z In the construction shown in Fig. a weprovide panels (I which may be connected with the bars or rods d in anydesired manner and which are composed of metal completely covered withand insulated by celluloid, rubber or other suitable insulatingmaterial, and in this case the drum 0 consists of end members (Z theparallel rods or bars d and the panels (F.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the drum 0 consists of the endmembers cl and panels 03 consisting of metal frame members covered withcelluloid, rubber or other suitable insulating material, the rods orbars (Z in this form of construction being grooved to receive saidpanels.

In all the forms of construction, the drums c are provided with a door03 which may be opened and closed when desired, and through or by meansof which the material or articles to be plated may be passed into andremoved from said drums.

The shafts of the drums 0 are provided with suitable metal hearings orkeepers e secured in or to the tops of the sides of the tank a and inpractice we also mount transversely at the top of the tank, rods 7 andfrom which are suspended the anodes f and feed wires f are connectedwith the rods and with a circuit wire 7, and other feed wires f areconnected with the bearings or supports 6 of the shafts c and withanother clrcuit wire f and the said wires f and f are connected with adynamo, or other generator, or source of electricity as shown at f.

In the process of electro plating, the tank a is filled or partiallyfilled with a suitable solution in the usual manner, the character ofthis solution, or the ingredients thereof, depending on the resultsdesired, as for instance, silver plating, nickel plating or the like.The articles to be plated are then placed in the drum 0 as shown at g inFig. 2 and said drums are rotated by turning the shaft 6. The operativepart of this process will be the same as when other apparatus of thisclass is employed, but with my improvement all the drums 0 may berotated or operated at the same time by throwing the clutch devices 0into an engagement with the worm gears 0 or one or more of said drumsmay be operated as desired.

In the use of this apparatus as a polisher or tumbler the tank a isfilled or partially filled with a polishing liquid in the usual manner,the articles to be polished are placed in the drums 0, and the electriccircuit wires are disconnected from the apparatus and the rods f andanodes f are removed from the tank and the drums 0 are rotated in thesame manner as when the apparatus is used in the process ofelectroplating. The shafts 0 of the drum 0 are also provided with theusual danglers h which are spaced thereon by collars or sleeves 72. inthe usual manner, but these danglers are used only in the process ofelectroplating, and in the operation of polishing they are removed fromthe drums.

-The drums c are detachable from the tank a, or may be detached whendesired, and from the foregoing description it will be seenthat ourimproved apparatus is of the same general form and operation as otherapparatus ofthis class, our improvement relating particularly to themethod of operating the drums c and the construction of said drums, andour invention is not limited to the particular construction herein shownand described and various changes therein and modifications thereof maybe made within the scope of the appended claims without departing fromthe spirit of our invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The object of making the drums 0 in the manner herein described is togive additional strength thereto and make the same more strong anddurable; and by mounting said drums in the manner described and by meansof the gearing employed for rotating the same, either of said drums maybe detached or removed from the tank at any time for the purpose ofexamining the contents thereof, or for any other purpose withoutinterfering with the operation of the other drums, and many otheradvantages will suggest themselves to anyone skilled in the art to whichour invention relates.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, atank, a shaft mounted horizontally at one side of said tank, andprovided with a plurality of worm gears looselymounted thereon, clutchdevices movable longitudinally of said shaft and adapted to engage saidgears, and a plurality of drums mounted transversely of the top of saidtank and the shafts of which are provided with worm gear wheels whichoperate in connection with the worm gears on said shaft, said drumsbeing composed of end members of insulating material and a frame work ofmetal covered with insulating material and perforated.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank, a shaft mountedhorizontally at one side of said tank, and provided with a plurality ofgears loosely mounted thereon, clutch devices movable longitudinally ofsaid shaft and adapted to engage said gears, and a plurality of drumsmounted transversely of the top of said tank and provided with gearswhich are adapted to operate in connection with the gears on said shaft.

3. I11 an apparatus of the class described, a tank, a shaft mountedhorizontally at one side of said tank, and provided with a plurality ofgears loosely mounted thereon, clutch devices movable longitudinally ofsaid shaft and adapted to engage said gears, and a plurality of drumsmounted transversely of the top of said tank and provided with gearswhich are adapted to operate in connection with the gears on said shaft,said drums being removable from said tank.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signedour names in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 14th day ofAugust 1909.

NATHAN S. EMERY. BENJAMIN WV. GILOHRIST. WVitnesses:

H. R. GANFIELD, G. E. MULREANY.

